Striking plate for a golf club head

ABSTRACT

A striking plate for a golf club head includes a sweet spot region made of a first metal piece, and a non-sweet spot region surrounding the sweet spot region and defining an opening that receives the first metal piece. The sweet spot region has a striking surface flush with that of the non-sweet spot region. The non-sweet spot region is made of a second metal piece. The first and second metal pieces have crystalline phases with different crystallographic orientations.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a striking plate for a golf club head, moreparticularly to a striking plate for a golf club head having improvedstriking stability and controllability.

2. Description of the Related Art

Referring to Figures land 2, a conventional striking plate 11 of a golfclub head 1 is made integrally of a single metal material, such astitanium, magnesium, aluminum, or the like. Therefore, the conventionalstriking plate 11 has a crystalline phase with a uniformcrystallographic orientation. When the conventional striking plate 11 isstricken by a golf ball, the striking stress imparted on a sweet spotregion (A) of the conventional striking plate 11 will be transmitteddirectly to a peripheral edge of the striking plate 11, and is thentransmitted to a head body 12 of the golf club head 1. The term “sweetspot region” as used herein is a substantially center region of astriking plate of a golf club head which is an ideal striking region toimpose a relatively large reactive force onto the stricken golf ball sothat the stricken golf ball can travel a relatively far distance.

In view of the aforesaid, when the conventional striking plate 11 isstricken by the golf ball, the striking stress on the sweet spot regioncan not reside in this region for a desirably long period. Therefore, areactive force feedback to the stricken golf ball may not be sufficient,and the striking effect of the conventional striking plate 11 is notsatisfactory. Additionally, the striking stability and the directioncontrollability of the striking plate 11 are also limited thereby.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a strikingplate for a golf club head which is improved in terms of strikingstability, direction controllability, and structural strength.

Accordingly, a striking plate of a golf club head of this inventionincludes a sweet spot region made of a first metal piece, and anon-sweet spot region surrounding the sweet spot region and defining anopening that receives the first metal piece. The sweet spot region has astriking surface flush with that of the non-sweet spot region. Thenon-sweet spot region is made of a second metal piece. The first andsecond metal pieces have crystalline phases with differentcrystallographic orientations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent in the following detailed description of the preferredembodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional striking plate used in agolf club head;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the conventional striking plate;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of astriking plate according to this invention, which is used in a golf clubhead;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the first preferred embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a second preferred embodiment of astriking plate according to this invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a third preferred embodiment of a strikingplate according to this invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a fourth preferred embodiment of astriking plate according to this invention; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a fifth preferred embodiment of a strikingplate according to this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it shouldbe noted that like elements are denoted by the same reference numeralsthroughout the disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the first preferred embodiment of a strikingplate 31 according to this invention is shown to be mounted on a hollowhead body 32 so as to make a golf club head 3. The striking plate 31includes a sweet spot region 311 made of a first metal piece, and anon-sweet spot region 312 surrounding the sweet spot region 311 anddefining an opening 310 that receives the first metal piece. The sweetspot region 311 has a striking surface flush with that of the non-sweetspot region 312. The non-sweet spot region 312 is made of a second metalpiece. According to the present invention, the first and second metalpieces are arranged such that crystalline phases thereof have differentcrystallographic orientations.

To provide different crystallographic orientations, the first and secondmetal pieces can be made of different metals. In an example, the firstmetal piece is made of a metal, such as stainless steel or alloy steel,having a mechanical strength higher than that of a metal, such astitanium, for the second metal piece. Examples of the metal suitable foreach of the first and second metal pieces include stainless steel, alloysteel, molybdenum, vanadium, zirconium, titanium, aluminum, magnesium,and the like. The first metal piece is glued to the second metal piece.Alternatively, the first and second metal pieces can be bonded togetherby other suitable methods, such as welding, press fitting, interlocking,etc.

Different crystallographic orientations may also be provided by formingthe first and second metal pieces at different forming conditions and byheat treating the first and second metal pieces at different heattreatment conditions. In addition, the first and second metal pieces mayalso be provided from the same metal plate by shearing the metal plateusing a punch so that the metal plate is divided into a surrounding parthaving a hole and a middle part within the hole. When the middle part isrotated relative to the surrounding part, the crystallographicorientation of the middle part is different from that of the surroundingpart.

Since the first and second metal pieces have crystalline phases withdifferent crystallographic orientations, the striking stress imparted onthe sweet spot region 311 of the striking plate 31 by a golf ball canreside on the sweet spot region 311 for a relatively long period byreducing the transmission rate of the striking stress from the sweetspot region 311 toward the non-sweet spot region 312. Therefore, arelatively large reactive force is imposed onto the stricken golf ballso that the stricken golf ball can travel a relatively far distance.Furthermore, the striking stability and the direction controllability ofa golf club head can also be improved thereby.

Referring to FIG. 5, the second preferred embodiment of a striking plate31 according to this invention is shown to be similar to the firstpreferred embodiment except that the non-sweet spot region 312 has asubstantially L-shaped cross section.

Referring to FIG. 6, the third preferred embodiment of a striking plate31 according to this invention is shown to be similar to the firstpreferred embodiment except that the non-sweet spot region 312 has asubstantially U-shaped cross section.

Referring to FIG. 7, the fourth preferred embodiment of a striking plate31 according to this invention is shown to be similar to the firstpreferred embodiment except that the sweet spot region 311 protrudesinwardly from the non-sweet spot region 312. Referring to FIG. 8, thefifth preferred embodiment of a striking plate 31 according to thisinvention is shown to be similar to the first preferred embodimentexcept that the non-sweet spot region 312 has a flange 313 projectinginwardly from an edge of the non-sweet spot region 312 that confines theopening 310. The flange 313 surrounds the first metal piece (i.e., thesweet spot region 311).

While the present invention has been described in connection with whatare considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it isunderstood that this invention is not limited to the disclosedembodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements includedwithin the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as toencompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

1. A striking plate for a golf club head, comprising: a sweet spotregion made of a first metal piece; and a non-sweet spot regionsurrounding said sweet spot region and defining an opening that receivessaid first metal piece, said sweet spot region having a striking surfaceflush with that of said non-sweet spot region, said non-sweet spotregion being made of a second metal piece, said first and second metalpieces having crystalline phases with different crystallographicorientations.
 2. The striking plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidfirst metal piece is glued to said second metal piece.
 3. The strikingplate as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first metal piece is welded tosaid second metal piece.
 4. The striking plate as claimed in claim 1,wherein said first metal piece is press fitted to said second metalpiece.
 5. The striking plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein said firstmetal piece is interlocked with said second metal piece.
 6. The strikingplate as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second metal piecesare made of a same metal.
 7. The striking plate as claimed in claim 1,wherein said first and second metal pieces are made of different metals.8. The striking plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said firstand second metal pieces is made of a metal selected from the groupconsisting of stainless steel, alloy steel, molybdenum, vanadium,zirconium, titanium, aluminum, and magnesium.
 9. The striking plate asclaimed in claim 1, wherein said sweet spot region protrudes inwardlyfrom said non-sweet spot region.
 10. The striking plate as claimed inclaim 1, wherein said non-sweet spot region has a flange projectinginwardly from an edge of said non-sweet spot region that confines saidopening, said flange surrounding said first metal piece.
 11. A strikingplate for a golf club head, comprising: a sweet spot region made of afirst metal piece; and a non-sweet spot region surrounding said sweetspot region and defining an opening that receives said first metalpiece, said sweet spot region having a striking surface flush with thatof said non-sweet spot region, said non-sweet spot region being made ofa second metal piece.